


Used? No

by forest



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: M/M, Memory Loss, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 12:32:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10876872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forest/pseuds/forest
Summary: Post-canon. Sho has a choice to make. Sanae is sorry.





	Used? No

**Author's Note:**

> really this is only shippy if you squint but trust me im squinting

“So,” Sanae’s airy voice rang out from behind. “You givin’ it some thought?”

The mathematicians back faced toward him, sat in a great open white vacuum of space-- the only place he was allowed until further notice. His voice was ragged and it lumbered out of him like a body being dragged.

“You say that like there’s more than one solution to this equation, Sanae.”

Giving an empty shrug, betraying the stretching nerve endings in his chest that gave him an unpleasant sensation, the barista pocketed his palms.

“Can’t say that I can help you any more than I already have. You’ll find a way around.”

Sho’s head bent back on his neck and he gave a super hard sniff-- clearing his sinuses and he stretched his arms out in front of him, staring through his fingers into negative air.

“Having my memory wiped and returning back to business, or, being reincarnated...”

“Or,” the angel began to remind. “You can go back to being noise, if neither of those options suit you.”

With a tsk, the reaper drew his arms back in and collected his fingers in a pile on his lap.

“You have to know the work we went through to get this approved. You broke a lot of rules--”

“We,” the artist corrected without hesitation. “ _We_ broke a lot of rules, and somehow only one of the fractions in this inequality is getting factored. Seems incorrect if you ask me.”

Unbeknownst to the reaper, Sanae’s lips formed into a pathetic sort of pout and his hand scratched at the nape of his neck with hopes that maybe his guilt would pass if he just let Sho get it all out while he could. It’s the least he could do for the guy, right? He’d never seen the Grim Heaper with anything but a smile on his face. Nothing seemed to faze him. If nothing else, Sanae expected louder from him and his drawn in nature did his remorse no favors.

“I guess,” he mumbled with a wince, “I guess I used you, boss. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Sanae frowned at the way Sho tensed up. His elbows buckled and his hands held onto his leg as if to settle himself, to no avail. Sooner than later he propped himself up to his feet and turned to face the barista with a finger pointed straight ‘twixt his eyes.

“That’s an extraneous root if I ever heard of. Garbage. Get rid of it. The mere idea that I did anything but what I wanted to do is imaginary. Don’t pity me.”

The angel gave a weak laugh and lifted his hands up in faux surrender.

“It’s called _an apology,_ kiddo. You ever heard of it? It’s a good thing. It’s what I’m trying to do.”

Sho’s hands fled to his hips, eyes lolling about.

“SOH-CAH-TOA. I’m so simplified by your sorries. The problem is solved. QED. Calc u later, fractal,” he spat, sarcasm dripping off his teeth like blood. “Stop being so negative. It’s like you’ve got a radical on your head. It’s making you irrational. I resent the idea that you even had the terms to use me. You didn’t. You didn’t… do anything wrong, Sanae.”

Letting his arms swing down at his sides, Sho tilted his head and gave a tired smile.

“And this won’t be so bad. If I let you wipe my memory I can still meet you again. We’re not tangent lines, Sanae. We’re cosine waves.”

Thankfully, Sanae knew enough calculus to get the tender meaning of his phrasing and couldn’t help but give a warm smile in return-- the kind that starts in the eyes, spreads to the lips and ends in the cheeks and the fire in his fingertips.

“You think so?”

“One hundred percent know so.”

Holding a hand out toward the mathematician, the barista wiggled his fingers two and fro.

“That mean you’re ready then?”

Sho had no hesitation. He stepped forward and lifted up the wrist of Sanae’s hand, fitting it to the front of his forehead with a soft grin.

“Remember, you stupid zero. I’ll have no memory of any of this happening-- the taboo noise or you helping me. The chances of me attempting to factor out poor Joshie are in the top percentile. Count on it.”

Sanae blinked a few times, drinking in his prattle before snickering.

“I don’t think the Composer is expecting any differently of you.”

“Good.”

The angel closed his eyes. Sho did not. The lasting impermanent glimpses of the angel’s face were all he wanted to carry into the next voyage with him as a guide post. But as absolute values do, he lost his sign.

Goodbye.


End file.
